Farewell Gunners

I just went to the last Premier League game of the season at Emirates Stadium, final score Arsenal 4 - 1 Stoke City. It was good to end on a high note despite having a disappointing finish to the FA Cup and Champions League races. I've really enjoyed going to these games and it will be one thing I definitely miss about being here in London. Oh well, that's what online streaming programs are for!

pics

Back to studying...

Football Hooligans

Today was an eventful day. I went to one lecture, then dashed back to King's Cross to pick up my family and guide them to Victoria to catch a train down to Carshalton to visit our relatives who happen to live just south of London (family of my Dad's 1st cousin, once removed--so my grandfather's cousin's family--long story short).

I stayed a few, but had to leave because I had tickets to the FA Cup game between Arsenal and Cardiff City. This wasn't a Premier League game per se, but it was still awesome. I was somehow able to find very nice club level seats for face value (£45) that included access to a sweet bar and free drinks at halftime. I think it had something to do with the fact that this was a replay game, since no one could score the first time around.

I guess having gone to a couple games now and starting to follow the team on their video podcast (vodcast?), I have become an aspiring "Gooner" [meaning Gunner, or Arsenal fan]. I bought my own scarf to twirl around at the game tonight. Also, funnily enough, I'm going to go see the Arsenal's fiercest rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, play Middlesborough in a couple of weeks, but that is only because Tufts is subsidizing it. Think of it like a Yankees fan going Fenway to see the Red Sox play some team that isn't the Yankees. Into the house of the enemy. Here are some pictures care of my phone. Enjoy!

Called the Gunners for a Reason

Nearly Full Stadium

Free Drinks = Awesome

Tomorrow will be the London sightseeing day for the family--British Museum, Thameswalk, and then whatever else we decide to do.

Cheers.

RACE! (?)

I felt good today (not sick anymore), so I thought it would be a good idea to go for a run with the XC team at the usual 1PM time on wednesdays.  Not being on the e-mail list for some reason or another, even after putting my name down, I was happy to still find everyone at the usual meeting place in front of the student union.

Then, I hear from one of the captains "Everyone has money on their Oyster Cards, right?"  Yes, I heard correctly, "Oyster Card".  Mine was way back in my room at John Dodgson House.  It turned out that today was not a usual run at all.  We were to get on a bus to travel all the way out (several miles) to a place called Hampstead Heath on the outskirts of the city for our run.  When we arrive, I hear that we are to run a race at 3:15 PM against rookies from other colleges of the University of London to compete for spots on the team.  Wait.  RACE?  I have not run a cross country race in over 2 years!  Also, what chance on earth would I have of making a team of 6 for a consortium of colleges with over 150,000 students?  Furthermore, I had been spoiled of the relative stability and non-severe slope of paved roads.  In other words, I was in no shape to race.

Boy, was I not in shape.

We were to do two 2.5-mile laps around a hilly course of grass, gravel, mud, and roots.  Brilliant.  Also, it turned freezing cold, windy, and rainy just before we began.  Needless to say, I realized how out of shape I was to run this sort of terrain and speed right away, as I immediately slowed my pace after cresting the first hill.  I made it through one lap and a bit before my previously injured foot from marathon season began to flare up, and I stopped; I was not about to take another 5 weeks off to heal like I had to back in February before the marathon.  I got on the bus and came home.

I had planned on going to Kung Fu again this week with Aaron, but that started at 4:30, and I made it back slightly bruised at 4:45, too late.  Oh well.

I do want to keep up with running, and the people are nice, but I suppose I should choose my battles carefully; I guess I should try to get on that email list and know what I'm getting myself into before the point of no return.